desolate

adjective

des·o·late | \ ˈde-sə-lət

, ˈde-zə-\

Definition of desolate

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : devoid of inhabitants and visitors : deserted a desolate abandoned town

2 : joyless, disconsolate, and sorrowful through or as if through separation from a loved one a desolate widow

3a : showing the effects of abandonment and neglect : dilapidated a desolate old house

b : barren, lifeless a desolate landscape

c : devoid of warmth, comfort, or hope : gloomy desolate memories

desolate

verb

des·o·late | \ ˈde-sə-ˌlāt

, ˈde-zə-\

desolated; desolating

Definition of desolate (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to make desolate:

a : to deprive of inhabitants The neighboring towns were desolated.

b : to lay waste desolating the city with bombs

c : forsake their desolated families back home

d : to make wretched

Other Words from desolate Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym What is the word origin of desolate? More Example Sentences Learn More about desolate

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Other Words from desolate

Adjective

desolately adverb

desolateness noun

Verb

desolater or desolator \ ˈde-sə-ˌlā-tər

, ˈde-zə- \ noun

desolatingly \ ˈde-sə-ˌlā-tiŋ-lē

, ˈde-zə- \ adverb

Choose the Right Synonym for desolate

Adjective

alone, solitary, lonely, lonesome, lone, forlorn, desolate mean isolated from others. alone stresses the objective fact of being by oneself with slighter notion of emotional involvement than most of the remaining terms. everyone needs to be alone sometimes solitary may indicate isolation as a chosen course glorying in the calm of her solitary life but more often it suggests sadness and a sense of loss. left solitary by the death of his wife lonely adds to solitary a suggestion of longing for companionship. felt lonely and forsaken lonesome heightens the suggestion of sadness and poignancy. an only child often leads a lonesome life lone may replace lonely or lonesome but typically is as objective as alone. a lone robin pecking at the lawn forlorn stresses dejection, woe, and listlessness at separation from one held dear. a forlorn lost child desolate implies inconsolable grief at loss or bereavement. desolate after her brother's death

dismal, dreary, bleak, gloomy, cheerless, desolate mean devoid of cheer or comfort. dismal indicates extreme and utterly depressing gloominess. dismal weather dreary, often interchangeable with dismal, emphasizes discouragement resulting from sustained dullness or futility. a dreary job bleak suggests chill, dull, and barren characteristics that utterly dishearten. the bleak years of the depression gloomy often suggests lack of hope or promise. gloomy war news cheerless stresses absence of anything cheering. a drab and cheerless office desolate adds an element of utter remoteness or lack of human contact to any already disheartening aspect. a desolate outpost

What is the word origin of desolate?

Adjective

Something that is desolate is literally or figuratively "abandoned," so you probably won't be surprised to learn that "desolate" has its roots in the Latin verb desolare, meaning "to abandon." The Middle English word desolat comes from the past participle of "desolare," which in turn combines the prefix de- and the adjective solus, meaning "alone." "Desolate" is not at all alone in this family of words. Some other familiar descendants of "solus" include "solitary," "sole," "solo," "solitude," and "soliloquy."

Examples of desolate in a Sentence

Adjective

a desolate house abandoned many years ago destitute and desolate since her husband walked out on her

Verb

totally desolated the city with aerial bombs

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Microsoft's press conference that year featured a game called ReCore, starring a woman named Joule who explores a desolate world accompanied by a trio of mechanical companions. — Carolyn Petit, WIRED, "Female Representation in Videogames Isn't Getting Any Better," 14 June 2019 Three months after D-Day, my father began serving as pastor of a church at a desolate crossroads in western Wyoming. — Fred Niedner, Post-Tribune, "D-Day recollections remind us of horrors of war," 7 June 2019 That survival mechanism would explain how the community managed to thrive in such seemingly desolate conditions. — Shannon Hall, Scientific American, "The Not So Dead Sea: Traces of Ancient Bacteria Found in the Lake’s Sediments," 5 June 2019 What’s left are desolate, uninhabited stretches of border where construction logistics are difficult, crossing is difficult, and the Border Patrol’s detection work is relatively easy. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "The shutdown is intractable because Trump’s wall is ridiculous and Republicans know it," 8 Jan. 2019 Twice a day, the desolate stretch of highway outside Tornillo comes alive as more than a dozen tour buses pull up. — Garance Burke And Martha Mendoza, The Seattle Times, "US waived FBI checks on staff at growing teen migrant camp," 28 Nov. 2018 Most dealers moved to desolate Chelsea, where rents were low. — Town & Country, "Mary Boone Is Taking a Break," 18 Apr. 2019 Instead, those crossing illegally now tend to do so outside the city in desolate deserts where deaths from exposure have risen. — Will Weissert, The Seattle Times, "El Paso bristles at Trump’s claim that wall made city safe," 11 Feb. 2019 When the doors opened, the desolate Chicago neighborhood below fell away. — Katie Bain, Billboard, "Gay Black Men Helped Create EDM. Why Do Straight White Men Dominate It?," 14 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'desolate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.